Story posted Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Summer Heats Up At Glenview Street Fest
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
During the summer months street festivals seem to be happening almost every weekend, but few in the Northern suburbs consistently draw as many people for as many years as the Glenview Summer Festival and Street Sale scheduled for Saturday June 27.
A longstanding tradition in its 36th year, Summer Fest is expected to attract about 20,000 visitors to Glenview Road between Waukegan Road and Harlem Avenue this year.
Over the last few years new attractions have been added to keep the festival fresh and exciting. New this year will be a tent covered seating area with tables and chairs sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 69 in the median of Glenview Road to provide a more comfortable eating area.
A car show in its third year this year is expected to bring between 60 and 80 classic, vintage and tricked out vehicles to Glenview Road.
Also coming back for the second year are roving entertainers. Last year a juggler on stilts could be seen wandering through the throngs of festival goers.
Organizing Committee Co-Chair Jay Hamilton said the roving entertainers were so popular last year organizers brought them back along with a live band on the stage.
Behind the scenes three people worked to organize this year's festival. Committee co-chairs Hamilton and Jim Martin worked closely with Kathy Miles of the Glenview Chamber of Commerce on the event. On June 27 they will be joined by about a half dozen volunteers.
Though there will be a few less booths at this year's festival, there will be a greater selection of food.
The festival will feature 21 food vendors this year, up from 19 last year, selling everything from popcorn to Chinese food to pizza along with the retailer street sale and car show.
The Glenview Journal will have a booth at the festival where newspapers will be given away and editors and reporters will be on hand to discuss the issues of the day.
One of the most popular places to visit at the festival is the Glenview Fire Station on Glenview Road where firefighters hold an open house. Firefighters will be on hand to help kids wrangle a fire hose, slide down poles and demonstrate the dissection of a car with the "Jaws of Life".
Unique to Glenview's festival is the number of civic, non-profit and political organizations that man booths including scout troops and organizations like Friends of Wagner Farm, Glenview Women of Today and American Legion Post 166.
Rather than selling food or clothing other local political groups such as the Northfield Township Democrats, the Unite Glenview party and Hands of Peace will be selling ideas at this year's festival.
Glenview police will cordon off Glenview Road at 5 a.m. on Saturday in preparation for the festival. Police Traffic Sgt. Terry Urbanowski said between six and seven police officers will be on duty during the height of the festival along with a crew of paramedics ready to respond to any medical emergency from the fire station on Glenview Road and Church Street in an ambulance golf cart.
Police will be stopping festival goers riding skateboards, roller blades or bicycles and those accompanied by their four legged friends as village trustees recently passed an ordinance barring them from the festival for safety reasons.
Hamilton said the chamber discouraged those things in the past but only in the last few years did police begin cracking down.
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